AGENDA #4h

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:

Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager

FROM:

J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director

Loryn Clark, Housing and Neighborhood Services Coordinator

SUBJECT:

Status Report on Project Homeless Connect

DATE:

September 10, 2007

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of this memorandum is to update the Council on Project Homeless Connect Orange County. 

 

The attached resolution would authorize the Mayor to invite Senator Ellie Kinnaird and Representatives Bill Faison, Joe Hackney, and Verla Insko to attend the Project Homeless Connect Orange County event on October 25, 2007 at the Hargraves Recreation Center. 

 

BACKGROUND

 

On May 7, 2007, the Council adopted a resolution that endorsed the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Orange County.  The resolution also appointed Council Member Greene to serve as the Council’s representative to the Executive Team that would be responsible for oversight of the implementation of the Plan.  On August 6, 2007, Council Member Greene was appointed to be the Chair of this Committee. 

 

On June 11, 2007, the Council adopted a resolution to accept a $3,500 grant from the Triangle United Way to sponsor Project Homeless Connect Orange County.  As the recipient of the grant, the Town is serving as the lead entity for organizing this event in Orange County.

 

DISCUSSION

 

Project Homeless Connect is designed to be a one-day, one-stop event designed to link people experiencing homelessness with a broad range of needed services such as housing, employment, health, dental, and mental health care, and benefits. Project Homeless Connect is not an information fair, but will instead engage homeless people directly with services. Project Homeless Connect will provide an opportunity for businesses, universities, and community volunteers to be directly involved in helping individuals and families make significant steps towards ending their homelessness. Project Homeless Connect will also facilitate improved collaboration between community service agencies.

 

Planning for the October 25th Orange County event is well underway.  Services that will currently be provided include housing, employment, health, dental, and mental health care, social service benefits, disability benefits, assistance with veterans administration benefits, legal services, personal care (haircuts, etc.), and food.  A wide array of Town and County staff, service providers, departments and student groups at UNC-Chapel Hill, faith-based communities, businesses, and volunteers are involved in planning and providing services at the event.  The event will be held at the Hargraves Community Center. 

 

Wake and Durham counties will be holding their first Project Homeless Connect events on the same date as the Orange County event.

 

The Triangle United Way will invite Senators Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole, Representative David Price, and Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, to the Orange County Event. 

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the Mayor to invite Orange County’s representatives to the state legislature to the Project Homeless Connect Orange County event on October 25, 2007.